Elevator signal system



May 5, 1936,. FARQH 2,@39,4:79

ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed June 5, 1932 2 Shets-Sheet l W9 /9 ATTORN Y6,

y 193$ M. N. FARCH ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1932 INVENTOR.

h c w a Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM a corporation of Ohio Application June 3, 1932, Serial No. 615,198

3 Claims.

This invention relates as indicated to an elevator signaling system and has specific reference to a signaling system by which persons on the several fioors of the building served by the elevator or elevators may be accurately informed as to the type of service available.

In large buildings where there are banks or groups of several elevators, an approaching passenger may note that the signaling system now customarily employed indicates that severa1.elevators are approaching his floor and traveling in the direction in which he wishes to go. By the present signaling system, however, he does not know which of the several elevators will first arrive at his floor and consequently, he stops at any convenient place in the corridor and waits for the first elevator to arrive and open its doors, whereupon, he will walk over to and enter such car, thus consuming and wasting valuable elevator running or service time.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide an elevator signaling system by which an approaching passenger may be informed not only as to which elevators are approaching his floor and traveling in the direction in which he wishes to go but also informs him as to which elevator will reach his floor first. By the employment of the signaling system comprising my invention, a passenger may approach a bank or group of several elevators and immediately ascertain the sequence in which the elevators in such bank will reach his floor, so that if the first to reach his floor is too far away, he. may position himself in front of the elevator next in point of service so that valuable time is saved for both the passenger and the elevator. Further objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic wiring diagram of the signaling system comprising my invention; Figure la is a portion of the diagram illustrated in Figure 1 drawn to an enlarged scale to somewhat more clearly illustrate the arrangement of the movable and fixed contact members positioned on each floor in this installation; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the type of signal employed as an element in the system illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic wiring diagram of a modified system in certain respects similar to that illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the type of signal employed in the system illustrated in Figure 3.

The system illustrated in Figure 1 has been laid out for purposes of convenience to accommodate an eighteen story building and the ordinals I to 18 on the right side of such figure denote the respective floor levels in the building which are to be served by the system presently to be described.

On each floor of the building will be positioned at some convenient point a signal such as is illustrated in Figure 2. This signal consists of panels of etched glass I9 and 29 upon which are found the words Up and Down and behind which are positioned lamps so that the words may become visiblev when the signaling system energizes the lamp behind the particular panel. In the diagram in Figure 1 the lamps behind the up panels on the several floors have been given the ordinal 2| and the lamps behind the down panels have been given the ordinal 22.

Positioned alongside of the up and down signaling lights and their associated panels are advanced signal lights 23 and 24 respectively. Like ordinals have been employed to designate these advance signal lights on the diagram in Figure 1.

From the above numbering, it will be noted that the lamps associated with the up signal are odd numbered and the lamps associated with the down signal are even numbered.

The system comprising my invention presently to be described is designed to illuminate the lamps 2| or 22, depending upon the direction of operation of the elevator in a zone in advance thereof and also energize the advanced signaling of lamps 23 and 24 in zones in advance of the movement of the elevator, and by means of the particular wiring diagram illustrated in Figure l presently to be explained; such zones are of different lengths and extend in succession, that is, the advance signaling lights will be visible on some floors in the general zone and the other lamps will be visible on the remaining floors of the general zone.

Referring now more specifically to Figure 1 which illustrates a wiring diagram for a system capable of producing the above results, 25 and 26 denote th lighting power lines from which current is drawn to operate the system comprising my invention and across which such system is connected. Only so much of the system as pertains to my invention has been illustrated in Figure 1 for the reason that the remaining cooperating parts are standard in most elevator installations and it is believed that by having reference to the drawings, those skilled in the art of elevator signaling systems may readily understand the manner of its operation.

The elevator car has associated therewith, either in the pent-house or basement, a relay generally indicated at 21, which is effective to move the three-pole switch, generally indicated at 28, so that the poles of such switch will connect the upper two sets of three contacts when the elevator is ascending, the contactor solenoid 21 being energized during ascent and such solenoid will be de-energized when the elevator car descends to permit the contactors to drop by gravity to connect the middle set of three contacts with the lower set of two contacts. For purposes of convenience, such contacts have been numbered 29, 30, 3|, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36. It is to be noted that contacts 32 and 34 in the central bank are interconnected by a bus bar or the like 31. The three fingers or contact making members have been numbered, for convenience, 38, 39, and 40.

Positioned on each of the floor levels of the building served by the elevator are relays comprising coils 4| which cooperate with and actuate contact members or fingers 42 and 43. Associated with the contact members 42 and 43 are three pairs of contacts 44, 45, and 46. The arrangement of these movable and fixed contact members is most clearly illustrated in Figure 1a, although this figure does not show the solenoid nor associated mechanism for actuating such movable contactors. It is believed that a construction of this type of apparatus is sufliciently familiar to those acquainted with the art so that the same has been only diagrammatically illustrated.

When the coil 4| is energized, it draws the contact members 42 and 43 upwardly to con nected paired contacts 44 and 45, but when deenergized, permits the contact members to drop to interconnect paired contacts 45 and 46.

A controller of any general type, of which there are several, is provided, such controller being generally indicated at 41 at the left of Figure 1 and includes paired contacts which, for purposes of convenience, have been given reference ordinals la to 18a and 1b to 18b to correspond to the particular floor with which the same are associated. The movable part of the controller comprises two banks or groups of contactors, one upper and one lower bank and in each bank there being five contactors of which numbers 48 and 49 are adapted to engage and make contact with contact members lb to |8b and of which those numbered 50, 5|, and 52 are adapted to engage and make contact with contactors Ia to la. The lower bank of movable contactors is similar to the upper bank and will be identified as 48a etc.

Suitable means not shown will be provided for moving the two banks of movable contactors in the controller relatively to the fixed contactors synchronously with the movement of the car relatively to the floor levels. The wiring connections between the severa1 described parts, it is believed,

are sufficiently clearly illustrated in the drawings so that a detailed description of such connections other than that given in connection with the operation of the system will not be given at this point.

The operation of the system illustrated in Figure 1 may briefiy be described as follows:

For purposes of convenience, and in order to illustrate the operation of the system, the elevator car has been positioned on the ninth floor of the building, as evidenced by the position of the movable contactors in the controller. When the elevator car is in this position and ascending, the relay 21 will maintain the contact members 38, 39, and 40 in their uppermost position, as illustrated in Figure l, i. e., connecting the upper three sets of contacts. With the apparatus in this position and the car ascending, or about to ascend from such position, current will flow from line 25 through lead 53 upwardly through contact member 39 to and through line 54. Current will flow from line 54 through the several leads 55 through the several solenoid coils 4| on all of the floors and back to the other side of the main line through lead 56, contact member 38, bus bar 31, lead 51 to line 26. The effect of energizing all of the solenoids 4| is to raise the contact members 42 and 43 so as to connect paired contacts 44 and 45.

When the system has been affected in the manner above defined, the bulbs 2| behind the up panels on floors 9, I0 and II will be illuminated by current flowing from leads 55 through such bulbs through leads 58, contact bars 43, leads 59, contacts 9a, Illa, Ila, which have in communication therewith contacts 50, 5| and 52, finally returning to the opposite side of the power line through lead 60, contact bar 40 and lead 51. At the same time advance up signal lights 23 will be illuminated on floors I2 and I3 by current flowing through such lamps from leads 55 through leads 6|, contact members 42, leads 62, contacts I217, I31), 48, and 49, returning to the opposite side of the line 26 through lead 50, contacting member 40 and lead 51.

As the elevator is ascending, therefore, the up lights on the three floors in advance of the elevators position will be illuminated and the advance signal lights 23 on the next two succeeding floors will be illuminated. The continued ascent of the elevator causes the signal zone comprising the two types of signals to advance ahead of the elevator in the manner defined until the elevator reaches the top of the shaft. When the elevator is descending the solenoid 21 will be de-energized permitting the contact members associated therewith to drop, connecting the middle tier of three contacts to the lower tier of contacts and 35, whereupon, solenoid coils 4| will be de-energized permitting contact members 42 and 43 to drop closing the circuit across contacts 45 and 46, thereby permitting the circuits controlled by the lower bank of movable contacts 48a to 52a to energize the lamps in the signal zone on the several floors ahead of the elevator as it descends. It is believed that from the previous description given in connection with the ascent of the elevator and the energization of the signal lights, it will not be necessary to describe the manner in which the descending lights are energized for the reason that the same is readily apparent from the drawings.

The above described signal system is adapted to be employed in connection with each elevator of a bank or group of several elevators in adjacent wells.

When a passenger approaches a group or bank of elevators provided with the signal system comprising my invention, the advance signal lamps in front of several elevators may be lighted indicating that such elevators are approaching the passengers floor and traveling in the direction in which he wishes to go. One or more other elevators will have the up or down panel illuminated indicating that such elevators are not only approaching his floor and traveling in the direction in which he wishes to go but are in immediate proximity thereto so that in order to catch such elevator, it will be necessary for him to hurry to a position immediately in front of the particular elevators displaying the up or down illuminated panels so that the passenger may be picked up with a minimum of delay by the elevator.

It will be noted that in the above described form of signaling system, at no time are the up or down panels illuminated. at the same time with the advance signal lights on the same floor, but instead, the two specific signaling zones which, incidently, are of different lengths by one floor, extend successively ahead of the elevator in its travel. A system slightly modified from this first described form and in which the two signal zones extend concurrently ahead of the elevator is illustrated in Figure 3.

In the system illustrated in this figure, there is provided a solenoid 2'! similar in its function, operation and construction to the solenoid described in connection with Figure l, in that it is effective when energized to raise three contact members 63, 64, and 65 adapted to establish electrical connection between three tiers of contacts of three contacts each. The contacts in the lower tier are numbered, for convenience, 66; those in the middle tier are numbered, for convenience, El; and those in the upper tier are numbered, for convenience, 68. The two end contacts 51 in the center tier are interconnected by means of a bus bar 69. This relay is of the gravity operated type in which when the solenoid is deenergized, the contactor is dropped by gravity to establish contact between the two lower tiers of contactors 61.

The type of signal employed on the several floors of the building, as a part of the system illustrated in Figure 3, is slightly different from that signal employed in connection with the system illustrated in Figure 1. The signal to be employed in connection with the system 11- lustrated in Figure 3 is illustrated in Figure 4 and includes etched glass panels 69 and 10, which have the words up and down thereon, respectively, and positioned behind these panels are lamps H and 12 respectively, as illustrated in Figure 3. Only one pre-sign-aling indicator light 13 is employed in this type of signal for the reason hereinafter more fully explained.

In the system illustrated in Figure 3 the operation of the relay 21 is, as above indicated, similar to that of the relay 2'! employed in the system illustrated in Figure 1; that is, as the elevator is ascending, the relay is energized to draw the contact members upwardly to connect the two upper tiers of contactors as illustrated in Figure 3. When the contactor is energized, i. e., when the elevator is ascending, current will flow from line 25 through lead 14, contactor 63, lead 15, to illuminate all of the up lamps 'H which are connected in parallel across lines 15 and 16; line 16 conducts the current back to line 26 through the contactor B4 and the lead 11. From the above description, it will be apparent that as soon as the elevator commences to ascend, all of the up signal lights associated with the well in which such elevator operates will become energized.

A controller, generally indicated at 18, is provided with a plurality of fixed contacts 19 and two banks of movable contacts, generally indicated at 80 and 8|. The contactors 80 and 19 are moved relatively to each other in synchronism with the relative movement between the elevator car and the several floor levels.

When the elevator is ascending in the above described manner, the pre-signaling lights in a four-floor zone in advance of the elevator will be energized by current flowing from line 25 through line 14, bus bar 69, contactor 65, line 82 through contactors 80 and 19, lines 83, lamps 13 and common return 16, which conducts the current to the other side 25 of the main line through the contactor 64 and lead 11. The reverse operation of the system, i. e., when the elevator is descending, is substantially identical with its operation when the elevator is ascending, with the exception that the relay 2'! being deenergized permits the contactors 63, 64, and 65 to drop to connect the lower two tiers of contacts 66 and 61, thereby illuminating the down lights 12 and causing the lower bank of movable contactors Bl to energize the lamps in the signal zone below the elevator as it descends.

From the above description, it will be apparent that by employing the system comprising my invention, two signals are given on each floor as to the location and direction of travel of the elevator car, one signal indicating that the cars is approaching the particular floor and is traveling in a particular direction, the other signal indicating that the car is in the immediate vicinity of the floor and in order to catch the same, the passenger must hasten to position himself in front of the elevator well carrying this second signal. This system of indicating to the passengers the sequence of the cars available for service in the desired direction, not only reduces to a minimum the stopping time of the car, but also is of material assistance in drawing traffic to the proper elevator thereby avoiding confusion and adding to the comfort and convenience of the passengers.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In combination with an elevator, signal lamps associated with the floor levels served by such elevator, means synchronized with directional movement of a car for energizing said lamps within a predetermined zone in advance of the position of the elevator car to indicate that the car is moving in a-particular direction, a second series of signal lamps associated with such floor levels, and means synchronized with progressive movement of a car for energizing said second series of lamps within a predetermined zone in advance of the position of the elevator car to indicate that such car will immediately stop at the floor receiving the signal, said zones extending for different distances beyond the position of the elevator car.

2.1m combination with an elevator, signal lamps associated with the floor levels served by such elevator, means for energizing said signal lamps Within a predetermined zone in advance of the position of the elevator car, said means comprising a controller and two banks of contactors synchronized with car movement to indicate that thecar is moving in a particular direction, a second series of signal lamps associated with such floor levels, and means for energizing said second series of lamps within a predetermined zone in advance of the position of the elevator car to indicate that the car will immediately stop at the floor receiving the signal, said means comprising relays at each floor adapted to energize, responsive to movement of a car, selected lamps in advance thereof, said first-named zone extending for a greater distance beyond the position of the car than said last-named zone.

3. In combination with an elevator, a series of si nal lamps on the several floor levels served by the elevator, means responsive to movement of the elevater car, adapted to energize said lamps in a predetermined zone in advance of car travel and indicate that the car is moving in a particular direction, a second series of signal lamps on such floor levels, means responsive to movement of the elevator car adapted to energize said second series in a limited predetermined zone in advance of car travel and indicate that such car will immediately stop at the floor receiving the signal, said first-named zone at any particular moment extending in advance of said last-named zone with respect to direction of car movement.

MOGENS N. FARCH. 

